We moved into a beautiful floating lakehouse and only pay £2,210 a year in ‘rent’
We moved into a beautiful floating lakehouse and only pay £2,210 a year in ‘rent’
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Flanked by rolling mountains and lush green forest, Fontana Lake is an introvert’s paradise where the only distractions are chirping birds and waves lapping against the reservoir edge. It was total isolation that drew Sarah and Brandon Jones to create their dream life here in the depths of North Carolina, in a tiny home in the middle of the lake bordered by Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
![[Grab from tiktok video posted by keepingafloatwiththejoneses https://www.tiktok.com/@keepingafloatwthejoneses?lang=en]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/SEI_231216217-e090.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
The Joneses renovated their slant-roofed slice of paradise over the course of two months, gutting the ‘dilapidated boathouse’ and transforming the interior with new floors and windows, and solar panels for light and heat. The boathouse floats on a platform for most of the year, until the chill of winter creeps in and forces the couple to tow their home to more a suitable position in a sheltered cove.
![[Grab from tiktok video posted by keepingafloatwiththejoneses https://www.tiktok.com/@keepingafloatwthejoneses?lang=en]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/SEI_231216166-b2e5.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
But their semi-nomadic life isn’t without challenges. Replying to @madeline🍉 Floating home remodel series pt. 8 💪 sooo glad to have that dang insulation done! Now onto the fun stuff 😋 . . . #renovationseries #homerenovation #houseflipping #houseboats #floatinghouse #lakehouse #diyrenovation.
![[Grab from tiktok video posted by keepingafloatwiththejoneses https://www.tiktok.com/@keepingafloatwthejoneses?lang=en]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/SEI_231216221-1a5c.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘As the lake drops, the water literally starts draining from the cove so we have to move out to avoid running aground,’ Sarah (@keepingafloatwiththejoneses) explained in a recent TikTok video. For safety and stability, they’ve anchored the house at four corners, and use a pulley system involving four ropes to haul themselves to protected positions around the lake.
![[Grab from tiktok video posted by keepingafloatwiththejoneses https://www.tiktok.com/@keepingafloatwthejoneses?lang=en]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/SEI_231216167-6dbc.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
